In September the air begins to get a little chillier and crispier, the leaves change brilliant colors, and the animals are foraging building their stores for the colder months to come. We feel the pull to reflect and give thanks on the year so far and to prepare and organize for the year we have left. September marks a liminal time of transition, preparation, and gratitude for the abundance of autumn coming and the bountiful harvest the Earth is teeming with. As the days begin to shorten and the weather cools in the Northern Hemisphere, it becomes a time to focus on balance, introspection, and inner transformation. September is associated with the autumn equinox, a.k.a. Mabon, a time of balance between light and dark, and realigning ourselves with the universal truth and energy of duality. It’s a time to give thanks for the abundance of the harvest, reflect on the blessings of the past year, and prepare for the darker half of the year coming.

History of September

September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 30 days between August and October. The word “September” comes from the Latin word septem, which means “seven”. Since, the ancient Roman calendar, began in March, this made September the seventh month. When Julius Caesar reformed the calendar later, to add months and change their lengths, September became the ninth month instead, but kept its name.

Zodiac Signs For The Month Of September

Those born in September are said to be born under either the sign Virgo ( like me!) or the sign Libra.

First, Virgos are born between August 22nd and September 22nd. They are an earth sign that are known for being logical, practical, and perfectionists. They are also known for being methodical, quick thinkers, and natural helpers. I may be a bit biased being a Virgo and not only that; it ruling 9 of my houses!
But, I feel Virgos get a lot crap and seems to be one of the most hated signs because they are so analytical, focused on details, being perfectionist, and always needing to problem solve. But, they also are some of the most nurturing, compassionate and sensitive souls that take on caring for the world around them as well.

Next, Libras are born between September 23rd–October 22nd. They are known for being charming, diplomatic, and peace-making, and are said to have a strong moral compass and the ability to see both sides of an argument. They are also known for being obsessed with symmetry and balance, and strive to create equilibrium in all areas of life.

Sacred Days And Celebrations In September

Every Single month has sacred and important days and celebrations to help you connect to the energies of the month. Plus they usually are a lot of fun to take part in! Below you will find a list of the sacred days and celebrations for the month of September and there are many for this month! But, first we are going to talk about the one that is front and center this month for pagans, and witches. We even see it on the wheel of the year. In case you didn’t know; the wheel of the year; is a visual representation of the cyclical nature of time and the seasons, and symbolizes the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth. This month we celebrate the sabbat, Mabon and the fall equinox on the wheel.

The Fall equinox or Mabon or Second Harvest (September 21st-23rd)

Across many cultures, the time of the autumn equinox aka Mabon, has been marked with festivals that celebrate the second harvest, a crucial period for gathering resources before the onset of winter. Mabon, or the fall equinox, is the first step toward the season of transformation. This is a time of transition and harvest, and a time of balance and realignment as we turn to greet the darkness of shadow season. As the Autumn Equinox brings equal day and night, Mabon stands as a poignant reminder of balance and reciprocity.

Mabon is not only a time for celebration but also for reflection and preparation. It encourages contemplation of life’s balances—light with dark, activity with rest, and abundance with scarcity. This equilibrium is reflected in the equal length of day and night during the equinox. In this sense, Mabon mirrors the theme of balance seen in the earlier spring equinox festival, Ostara, but with a focus on gratitude and the harvesting of blessings. This sabbat serves as a reminder to cherish and utilize the abundance currently available while preparing for the leaner times winter may bring. It’s a time to make the most of the remaining warmth and light, gathering resources and fortifying homes against the coming cold, all while giving thanks for the year’s bounty and the people with whom we share it.

To connect to the energy of Mabon and celebrate this sacred day of gratitude, reflection, and balance you can join me live on Sunday September 22nd @ 3:00pm CST in Facebook live with DiviNation Academy. You can RSVP to the event here and you can even watch my guided meditation from Mabon last year here!

Other sacred days and celebrations

• Labor Day is celebrated the first Monday in September in the US and Canada
• National Grandparents Day takes place the first Sunday after Labor Day
• Respect for the Aged Day takes place on the third Monday in Japan
• In the US the remembrance of 9/11 is observed nationwide
• Ostara or Eostre is celebrated in the Southern Hemisphere
• Rosh Hashanah the Jewish New Year, begins on Friday, September 15 at sundown and ends on Sunday, September 17.
• Yom Kippur the Jewish day of atonement, taking place September 24-25
• September 29 to October 6 is Sukkot: A 7-day holiday commemorating when Jews journeyed to the desert on the way to the promised land.
• Ganesh Chaturthi, is when Hindus start the celebrations for Ganesh Chaturthi, a 10-day festival marking the birth of Ganesha,
• Mawlid: The celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birth in the Islamic faith takes place on September 27th
• Ludi Magni begins September 4
• Michaelmas Day the 29th of September carries a great deal of folklore attached to it.
• Most Pagan Pride festivals take place in the month of September

Magical And Witchcraft Themes For September

In witchcraft September is a time to go within yourself, harvest the seeds you had planted and grown, plan for the coming winter months, and balance yourself in duality. September is a time to work on balancing energies and expressing gratitude for the blessings of the harvest season. This month perform spells to cultivate inner balance, restore harmony, give thanks for the harvest, and embrace the changing seasons. It’s also an ideal month to spend time in introspection, journaling about your experiences, analyzing your discipline and structure, and giving thanks for the abundance in our lives. It’s a very liminal time weaved with the energies of duality. This is one of my favorite months to really soak up the teeming abundance of nature around me as I bring in the harvest from my gardens in gratitude.

The gods and goddesses of September

With every season and month there are certain themes, magic, and energies we have the ability to connect to including deities. Everyone works with and views deity energy a little differently. Whether you view them as archetypes of the human consciousness, representations of the source energy, or as being entities on their own, there are certain deities that now is the time to connect to and honor them in the most sacred and amplified way.

During this month a few deities take center stage because they have festivals or sacred days during this month to help you connect with them in a very intimate way. The deities that are going to be the best for you to connect to right now are deities connected to the fall harvest, abundance, gratitude, transformation, transition, duality, light and dark, the earth, and balance. You can also choose to work with the energy of the fall equinox and Mabon and the deities associated with it. Below we will talk about some of the deities you can work with this month.

Demeter

Demeter is a major goddess in Greek mythology who plays an important role in the lives of the ancient Greeks, who relied heavily on crops and grains for their existence. She presides over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth, and represents good harvests, fruits, vegetation, and the nourishment and growth of the earth. Demeter is also associated with health, birth, and marriage, and has connections to the Underworld. She is also known as the Harvest Goddess and Deo. Demeter is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and the sister and consort of Zeus, the king of the gods. Demeter’s legend centers on her daughter Persephone, who is carried off by Hades, the god of the underworld. Demeter goes in search of Persephone, and during her journey she reveals her secret rites to the people of Eleusis and created the seasonal cycle.

Ceres

Ceres was the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain, and the love a mother bears for her child. Ceres was the goddess of the growth she was associated with the earth, with women, and with both the fruitfulness of crops and the fertility of humans. She was associated with the realm of the dead, law and order, and the protection of the Roman plebeians (the “commoners”). Much like the Greek Demeter, a central part of Ceres’ mythos involved the abduction of her daughter Proserpina by the Underworld god Dis. Ceres, was first and foremost a goddess of grain and agriculture. Ceres was the goddess of agriculture, farming, and, she was the goddess that directly ensured that the people had something to eat. Without the Roman goddess Ceres good graces, winter and famine were upon the Romans.

Chang’e

Chang’e is the ethereal Chinese Goddess of the Moon, she is known for her captivating beauty, her immortality, and her connection to lunar cycles. Legends tell the story of her ascent to the moon, where she resides and is admired by people from afar. In this story, she was the wife of a heroic archer who was rewarded for his services to the gods by a gift of the elixir of immortality. In her husband’s absence, she stole the potion and drank it herself. She is often depicted as a woman with long black hair, pale skin, red lips, and flowing robes. Her name translates to “the beautiful Cháng”. She is celebrated in poems and novels, and some people worship her during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Persephone

I saved in my opinion the best for last, my matron deity, a central deity for this month and Mabon; Persephone. In Greek mythology, Persephone is the goddess of agriculture, the spring, the Underworld, duality, and the wife of Hades. Prior to her marriage with Hades she was known as Kore, which means “daughter” or “maiden”. Persephone is the daughter of Zeus, the chief god, and Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. Persephone, is a captivating figure in Greek mythology. She holds the dual role of being the Queen of the Underworld and the Goddess of Spring. As the wife of Hades, Persephone governs the realm of the dead with grace and power. Persephone’s presence in the Underworld brings a sense of balance between life and death. However, Persephone does not rule only the underworld, she is also the reason for the seasons cycle of change. During the spring season, she emerges from the depths and returns to the Earth, bringing with her the arrival of new life and vibrant colors. During the fall she returns to the underworld bringing the cold of winter and the death of life and nature all around us.

To learn all about this alluring, intriguing, and complicated goddess, and see her story in a whole new light. Plus meet her in a guided meditation you can watch my class all about her below!

Correspondences For The Month Of September

First, what is a correspondence? A correspondence is an item or symbol that is meant to connect you to a specific energy thru it’s representation. It is seen also as an item to respect, honor, and venerate that energy as well whether it be a deity, an archetype energy, the zodiac energy the moon is currently or for time of the year like a month, which I will list below for you to use. Remember this is just a start to the list for you. You can use any correspondences that connect the magical themes and energies of September. Just follow your intuition on what you choose to work with!

• Planet- Mercury and Venus
• Animal- Ibis, Sparrow, Snake, Jackal
• Element- Earth and Air
• colors- Greens, yellows, browns
• Chakra- Third eye or Sacral
• Herbs- aster, forget me nots, morning glory, wheat, grain, rye, fennel, valerian, mugwort, thyme, gardenia, bergamot
• Stones/ crystals- Sapphire, peridot, olivine, rainbow obsidian, bloodstone, chrysolite,
• Deities- ceres, cel, demeter, thor, thoth, persephone, hades, Isis, change-o, freyja
• Zodiac- Virgo, Libra
• Trees- Hazel, bay
• Themes- fertility, abundance, duality, balance, fruition, harvest, goals, movement, expansion, transformation, rebirth, renewal, organization, preparation, gratitude, connection, the cycles of nature, the afterlife , rest, personal and spiritual development, motherhood, nurturing, divine feminine, psychic connections and abilities, home and hearth, communication

How to connect to the magic of September

We’ve talked a lot about all the different types of energies the month of September has and gives us access to work with. So, how can you specifically connect to those energies? In your everyday life you can make sure your affirmations , intentions, and manifestations align with the energies of the fall harvest, abundance, duality, transition, balance, reflection, and the cycle of seasons. You can celebrate and honor any of the sacred days and holidays and connect to the energies of the fall equinox and Mabon weaving magic in the air all around us. You can also begin to turn your attention towards Samhain coming next month and the ancestral work you wish to do when the veil is the thinnest.

Some Rituals and spell workings during this time that will be really intensified will be based on the bounty of the harvest all around us and fertility. You can do things like create a lucky money bag, a prosperity bowl, or perform some spells using egg magic. September is a time of the year where witches are able to really connect to the abundance of nature and the gratitude we have for her sustaining us. We can use this time to physically reconnect with nature through all kinds of nature magic, earthing, grounding, weather magic and elemental magic. Don’t forget to also take the time to give thanks to the earth for the harvest through rituals, prayers, and offerings as well especially during the equinox and Mabon!

September creates a very potent liminal pocket of time that is teeming with duality, balance, and the power of transition. It’s a month that really pulls us to go deep within ourselves for introspection, reflection, self awareness, and growth. This makes it a great month to do any work on transformation, rebirth, and renewal through shadow work. Allowing the energy of the transitioning seasons to harvest what you have grown and prepare for the long cold months of winter ahead. If you would like to learn more about shadow work you can purchase my eBook here;  you can book me for a 1:1 session as your guide here; and you can watch my free class previously taught on it through Divination here.

Spell and ritual ideas

• Create a spell jar for the month of September
• Collect the first acorn that falls on the ground and carry with you all month for good luck and prosperity
• Refresh your altar
• Connect to any deities of the month
• Cast a spell for family, home and hearth
• Visit a corn maze
• Perform abundance magic with apples
• Begin prepping and planning for the winter
• Cast gratitude spells and rituals
• Work with apples, grain, or corn in kitchen magic
• Cast spells to help with personal transition or transformation
• Make a corn dolly
• Give thanks for the fall harvest
• Use leaf magic for release work
• Go on a nature walk to mindfully notice the changing colors of the leaves
• Fertility Spells
• Chakra balancing– the third eye and sacral chakra
• Declutter your space
• Perform Green witchcraft
• Make a simmer pot to call in transition, balance, gratitude, or a plentiful harvest
• Reflect on your daily schedule, structure and discipline and adjust as needed
• Add a separate altar for the fall equinox
• make a manifestation leaf wreath or garland
• Spend time in Nature grounding and/or earthing
• visit an apple orchard and leave an offering
• Cast communication, clarity and wisdom spells
• Have a ritual bonfire with family and friends for the harvest and Mabon
• Make a besom and hang over your front door for protection, and prosperity
• do canning and food storage prep for the winter
• Serve others and nurture those in need by working at soup kitchen, food bank, or holding a food drive
• Meditate on balance and what duality means to you
• Make a gratitude list, read it out loud, and bury it in the earth to give thanks
• Reorganize your home or business
• Do elemental magic with the element earth and air
• Shadow work based on; duality, planning, gratitude, transition, and abundance
• Work with the divine feminine 
• Rest
• Cast spells or do rituals that help you on your personal growth and development

Duality and the month of September

Since, I am a grey witch I look for the duality in every single energy I work with including sacred times like a month of the year like September. I may be a bit biased on this month to be honest since it is my birth month and part of the month is ruled by the sign that dominates my entire chart; Virgo. And Virgo in my opinion is an energy that we miss the duality of often. Virgo is known for being very analytical, methodical, and detail oriented which creates an energy this month focused on change, goals, growth, problem solving and at times perfection. But, this sign is also one of the most compassionate, caring, and nurturing signs of the zodiac as well. Which also creates an energy that is very deep, loving, emotional, sensitive, and at times self sacrificing. The mix between these two energies weaves an energy and magic that pushes you to look at every tiny detail for perfection and ways to change things and those around you and for yourself. With the deep nurturing desire to push them and/or yourself to grow, heal, and be the best versions we are all capable of being for the greater good of the collective.

This month not only is teeming with an abundance of the energy of Virgo and its duality but, we also see it in the transition this month brings us through. This month marks the time of the year when we mark the cyclical transition from one season to another. We see us leave the hot, vibrant, fun and sun based season of Summer and turn our attention to the crisp, cool, productive, and earth based season of fall. We literally get to watch in real time this month, nature transitioning from being bustling with life to decaying in death. This month is a really unique pocket of liminal space and time for us to connect too. We get to be surrounded by the bounty and abundance of the fall harvest and all the joy, celebration and gratitude that brings. While we are also confronted with the reality of nature beginning to die around us and the dark cold winter that is very soon going to be upon us.

Harvest duality, gratitude, and abundance this September

We talked about many things in this blogpost including the history, some celebrations, the different energies and magical themes we can work with during this month, how to connect to those energies, deities we can honor and worship, and how to work with the magic of September. No matter how you choose to work with the energies and magic of September make sure to be focused on continuing your rebirth for this year. Be mindful and remember to give thanks for the seeds you planted at the beginning of the season. That you nourished with love, and are now harvesting with glee and gratitude. Take note of the leaves changing colors before they fall as you reflect on the past year and the growth it took to get here. Allow yourself to become immersed in the magic of duality weaving in nature all around you. As you cycle through the changing of the seasons this month and prepare for the long winter ahead of us.